This is a very unique day for the Christian; very specific, in fact, TO Christianity. Our entire understanding of spiritual things is now rooted in Good Friday, because we believe that God is Good. I’m sure the other faith systems think their god is good too, mostly, well, except for some of the Greek gods of war and terror. But, generally, folks who worship a god tend to think of that god as being there for them, some how.

And yet, none of these other gods did what Jesus Christ did. None of them came to earth and lived among them for the specific purpose of taking on the punishment for sin, and dying for them! It almost doesn’t make sense. We are so ‘self’ oriented that to do this kind of thing seems out of balance, this dying for another. And yet, our heroes are the ones who through life do this very thing! Like what the medical practitioners are doing right now for us during this virus crisis. 

Jesus came to take on a virus we all have; a virus that spreads furiously; a virus that knows no boundaries; a virus that is so insidious we don’t even see it coming. In fact, ours is a virus that often is cloaked in stuff that feels good to the body, and very clever at disguising itself in appearance. Ours is a virus that is at its core deceptive, and purposed to kill.

Our virus is not Clovid19, it is Sin. The cure for this sin virus is simply beyond man to administer on his own. We need a Savior, to come and minister and administer to us the cure, the salvation, the purchase for eternity. This is a big deal.

This, then, is why it is Good Friday. On this day in history, Jesus Christ accomplished the task God the Father sent Him to do, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make it possible for sin to be cured in each individual, by Grace, through Faith IN Jesus Christ. His death for us. Oh my. Can you believe it? Can you comprehend it? Can you allow it to happen, to you, for you, in you, on a daily basis?

Yes, the Bible has a lot of prophecy throughout the Old Testament letting us know bits and pieces of this coming event. It is encouraging to read that God makes promises, and then keeps them. For the O.T. folks, salvation was by faith in a Messiah yet to come. For us, salvation is by faith in a Messiah who has come! We get grafted in, to the Branch, to the Root, to the very core of God Almighty. Can you say Hallelujah! ?

Now let’s fast forward to today, THIS Good Friday, and transact some spiritual business. Take the time to give thanks to God. Take the time to give thanks to Jesus. Take the time to thank the Holy Spirit. Cover all the bases! Let the humility we visited yesterday, Maundy Thursday, get to your soul today in thanksgiving, and awe, and wonder. Focus on Him. Dwell on Christ Jesus. Let your mind leave the Corona news coverage for awhile and concentrate on what God has done for you, even today!

Try to picture in your mind the Cross, and the body of Christ nailed to it. Try to imagine what is going on. Try to remember what He said, and His composure, and His suffering, and even His strength. Try to remember that what was going on was FOR YOU. Oh my, try to appropriate that. This is a big deal.

I love what is happening in different places during Christmas now, where “secret Santa’s” go about paying bills for folks, or paying for the lay-away products at Target, for example, or even just handing out money on the streets or subways. It’s amazing. The joy of giving accrues to the secret Santa, but the joy of ‘receiving’ accrues to the one benefitted. That joy of giving is just what happened to Jesus on the Cross, and the joy of receiving needs to be in us. We need, somehow, to live our lives not just understanding this in a mental way, but in a physical and practical way as well. 

“Give, and it shall be given unto you…” is not just some trite Bible verse used to prop up the Sunday offering. It is Truth we need to appropriate for our daily lives, Monday thru Saturday as well.

I pray you are having a Good Friday. I pray you will discover the joy purchased for us on this day so long ago. I pray you will sense a stirring, a renewal, a revival, even a bit of jolting, if necessary, to live your  life a bit larger today, because of Jesus Christ.